'Down to a Soundless Sea, Stories' by Thomas Steinbeck

Down to a Soundless Sea, Stories, Thomas Steinbeck (3.5)

Since we’ve moved to the Central Coast of California recently and just started to deeply investigate the area, I found these short stories particularly interesting. Mr. Steinbeck admits in the Author’s Note that his family would indulge their storytelling abilities at gatherings – led by his famous father, John Steinbeck. Most of these stories have JS’s feel of the area, the characters and often a sense of sadness you find in his famous books. The stories weave names familiar to us now (Cruickshank, Post, Pfeiffer, etc.) as they were real people who worked and lived in the area in the late 1800’s. There are also several characters from the diverse cultures that settled in this area, from the Chinese to the Filipinos and the industries that drew them such as shipping and mining. One of the longer stories (‘Blind Luck’) reminded me of ‘Two Years Before the Mast’, the excellent telling of Richard Henry Dana’s experiences in the shipping industry along the California coast. Overall I really enjoyed the history lessons palatably served as touching stories and I believe, through these stories, we are privy to the fireside stories told by and to Thomas Steinbeck.